Range-extending device for pneumatic piano-player action.



E. G. CLARK.

RANGE EXTENDING DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC PIANO PLAYER ACTION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1913.

Patented July 21, 1914,

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E. G. CLARK. RANGE EXTENDING DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC PIANO PLAYER ACTION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14,1913.

1, 1 04;, 1 64, Patented July 21, 1914.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST G. CLARK, OF DE KALB, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MELVILLE CLARK PIANOCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

RANGE-EXTENDING DEVIOE FOR PNEUMATIC PIANO-PLAYER ACTION.

forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a device by means of whichit shall be possible to play music over the whole range of theeighty-eight notes of the piano by means of a tracker and perforatednote sheet whose range covers only a portion,-as, for example,sixty-five notes,-of the piano.

It consists of the elements and features of construction shown anddescribed as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings :-Figure l is a vertical fore-and-aft section ofaportion of a piano containing a pneumatic action embodying theinvention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the tracker, duct board andpneumatic action shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section at the line 3--3on Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a section at the line l 1t on Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is afront elevation of the tracker with a note sheet mounted thereon fortraveling thereover, having features for'operating according to thisinvention.

It is well known that in automatic piano players employing a perforatednote sheet, it has been common to make the tracker and note sheet with arange for playing a limited part only of the full range of the piano,-usually about sixty-five out of the entire eight-eight notes of theinstrument. It is also well known that a certain class of autonaticpiano-playing instruments which are constructed for playing solo andaccompaniment by means of separate pneumatic actions controlled byindependent sets of perforations in the note sheet, in order to avoidexcessive width of the note sheet which would otherwise result frommaking said sheet with a double set of perforations, usually have eachset, instead of comprising the entire number of perforationscorresponding to the eighty-eight notes of the piano, consisting of onlya portion,usually sixtythree,-out of the entire number, this limitednumber being suflicient for solo, and being fairly adequate for mostpurposes of ac- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 14, 1913.

Patented July 21, 1914. Serial No. 778,835.

companiment. It is well understood that in cutting the note sheets forsuch instruments, when the accompaniment of the composition runs beyondthe range of the sixty or seventy notes which are connected with thetracker for playing by such note sheets, the arranger is obliged torearrange the portions which run above or below the notes which can beplayed, so as to play them an octave lower than they are written in thecomposition, or to otherwise modify the composition so as to produce asnearly as possible the desired effect without using notes above or belowthe range of the note sheet and tracker of the instrument. While thismethod is satisfactory for the great majority of musical compositions,it is not entirely so, and results in very undesirable mutilation ofsome compositions in which the notes above and below the limited rangeof the note sheet constitute the special characteristic of the composition. The nearest approach to compensation for this defect which hasheretofore been employed consists in providing pneumatic action for theentire eighty-eight notes, and adding an ordinary octave-couplingdevice, by means of which the notes cut in the note sheet an octavehigher or lower than they are written in the compo sition, are played,not only at the positions at which they are cut, but also at thepositions at which they are written in the composition. In manyinstances, this defeats the artistic eifect intended by the composer,especially when the notes written and subject to this modification arein the higher octave for which the note sheet is not adequate, and whichare intended to produce a very light or bird-like effect by being thusplayed in the high octave, this effect being defeated by thesimultaneous speaking of the notes an octave lower.

The purpose of this invention is to ac complish the result of playingthe notes in the octaves beyond the normal range of the note sheetwithout the simultaneous playing of the notes an octave higher or lowerwithin the range of the note sheet. For this purpose, the inventionconsists in providing means by which the ducts of the tracker which areto be employed for playing notes beyond the playing range of the trackeror beyond the playing range of the note sheet which is to cooperate withthe tracker, are connected with the pneumatics for playing the noteswhich are beyond the range of the note sheet, as well as with thepneumatics to which they normally correspond, and devices which shiftthe connection of the tracker ducts from the one to the other of thepneumatics with which they are arranged to communicate, and providingother ducts in the tracker which lead to pneumatic devices for operatingthese shift devices, the note sheet being provided with aperturescorresponding to these last-mentioned ducts, said apertures beingpositioned sufiiciently in advance of the apertures for playing thenotes beyond the range of the note sheet, so that said shift-operatingpneumatics will be brought into action and the shift made just beforethe note-playing apertures reach their tracker ducts, the tracker havingother ducts and the note sheet having apertures to cooperate with themfor reversely operating the pneumatics to replace the devices inposition for the ordinary communication of the tracker duets with therespective noteplaying pneumatics.

There is shown in Fig. 1 a pneumatic action which, except as to thespecial features constituting this invention, is of familiar type,comprising motor pneumatics, 1, controlled by primary pneumatics, 2, inthe pneumatic chamber, 5. i

There is shown in the drawings a part of a tracker, 3, comprising onlysixty-four note-sounding ducts 5 with air connections to sixty-fourcorresponding pneumatics; but the pneumatic action is shown comprisingthe entire number of eighty-eight pneumatics for playing the notes ofthe entire range of the instrument. It will be understood that thetracker may comprise any additional number of ducts, either for playingdirectly an additional number of notes within the range of theinstrument, or for any other purpose for which such additional ducts areemployed in any of the known types of automatic players, as in the usualeighty-eight note player, or in the solo and accompaniment players; butthe special feature of the present invention relates only to thesixty-four ducts, and for this reason, no more are represented, and nomore of the note sheet is shown than is utilized by means of thesixty-four ducts shown. The sixty-four ducts of the tracker which areshown are connected for playing by means of the eighty-eight pneumaties,but a certain number-as illustrated, thirtyeight,of the upper or trebleend of the group of said sixty-four ducts, and a certain number,asillustrated, twelve,at the lower or bass end of that group are connectedeach with two pneumatics of the pneumatic act-ion. for playingalternatively the notes corresponding to either one of the two. Thesedouble connections at the base and treble ends are precisely similar,except as to the number thus connected and the octave distances betweenthe two connections. The tubes, 10 and 11, from the two end groups ofthe sixty-four tracker ducts shown lead to ducts, 12, in a duct board,13, each duct opening at one surface of said board in an elongatedmouth, 12, adjacent to which are the mouths, 14 and 15, of ducts, 14 and15, which lead down to the same edge of the duct board at which thetube, 11, is connected to the duct, 12. From the duct, 14, or tube, 16,which constitutes the air connection to the primary pneumaticcorresponding to the tracker duct with which the said duct, 12, isconnected, and from the duct, 15, a tube, 17, constitutes the airconnection from the same tracker duct to a primary pneumatic one octavehigher in respect to the treble group and one octave lower in respect tothe bass group than those to which the tracker ducts respectivelycorrespond. A middle group of the tubes, 9, from the tracker, 3, leaddirectly to the corresponding pneumaties in the primary pneumaticchamber, 5, for playing a corresponding fiddle group of notes of thepiano.

For connecting the ducts, 12, alternatively with the ducts, 14 and 15,to cause them to lead alternatively to the pneumatics which correspondto the tracker duets with which said ducts, 12, respectively areconnected, or to the pneumatics one octave lower or higher, there ismounted on the duct board, 13, for each of the ducts, 12, a valvedevice, 18, which is pivoted for oscillating through a small angle andhas one end covering all three of the duct months, 12 14 and 15, and.having in the face which thus covers them a recess, 18, which iselongated transversely of the elongation of the mouth at 12, so as tolap at one end upon said elongated mouth, 12, and at the other end uponeither of the months, 14 or 15 the range of its oscillation being onlysuflicient to carry the last-mentioned end of said elongated recess, 18,from a position lapping on one of the months, 14, 15, to a positionlapping on the other of said months, the other end of said recess, 18,in said movement traversing only the length of the elongated mouth, 12,and remaining at all times lapping thereon. All of the valve devices,18, of both of the groups for treble and bass, respectively, areconnected by an operating rod, 19, for simultaneous movement from one ofthe two positions described to the other.

lVith the structure thus far described, it will be understood that whenthe valve devices, 18, are adjusted for what may be called the normalcommunication,that is, for connecting the tracker duets with the ducts,14, and thereby with the pneumatics corresponding directly to saidtracker ducts, respectively, the note-sheet traveling over the trackercan cause notes to be sounded .1 in the portion of the sheetcorresponding 'to the next to the lowest octave at the bass -both thenotes be sounded.

end, instead of causing these notes to be played will cause the playingof notes one octave lower down, and that in no case will That is to say,

when the valve devices are adjusted for playing normally,that is, forplaying the notes directly corresponding to the perforations of the notesheet, -the notes one octave higher or one octave lower will not beplayed by those perforations; and when said valve devices are-adjustedfor playing said notes one octave higher or lower than the perforations,the directly corresponding .notes will not be played by thoseperforations. Consequently, when the musical composition contains notesbeyond the range of said middle group of sixty-four notes, or a run orphrase partly within and partly beyond that range, the arranger will cutperforations for such notes or such runs or phrases which are, or whichextend, beyond said range at the upper or treble end, in the position asif they were to be played one octave lower; and as to the notes he yondthe range of the note sheet at the bass end, he will cut theperforations in the positions as if the notes were to be played oneoctavehigher. The arranger will, in that case, cut perforations in thenote sheet as hereinafter described for causing theshifting of the valvedevices, 18, just before these notes which are to be played higher orlower than the position at which they are to be out are to be played,and will thereby cause them to be sounded, as to the treble notes, oneoctave higher up, and as to the bass notes, one octave lower down, thanwould be indicated by the positions at which the apertures are ut.

For shifting the valve devices, 18, there are provided two motorpneumatics, 20 and 21, at the upper or treble end of the instrument, andtwo similar motor pneumatics, 22 and 23, at the lower or bass. end. Bothmotor pneumatics at each end are connected to the valve devices, 18, ofthe set at that end, one of said pneumatics of each pair being soconnected for moving the valve devices of the set in one direction, andthe other pneumatic of each pair being connected for moving them in theother direction, this being most conveniently accomplished by mountingthe two motor pneumatics of each pair in reverse position and connectingthe moving members of both directly with the connecting rod, 25, whichis connected to all the valve devices of the set. For controlling thesemotor pneumatics, tour ducts, 3 of the tracker and four primarypneumatics in the primary pneumatic chamber are appropriated, theprimary pneumatics having the chambers of the valves which they control,respectively, connected by tubes, 25, with the respective motorpneumatics; and an area of the note sheet corresponding to the positionof the tracker ducts so appropriated is devoted to perfora ions forautomatically controlling the action of the slide-operating pneumatics.In the particular instrument with respect to which this instrument hasbeen designed, there are customarily what is called a blind area in thetracker comprising two ducts at each end of the middle portion of thetracker which is connected for playing the accompaniment, and betweenthat area and the two end areas which are devoted to playing solo, theseblind areas being the result of provision for transposition by movingthe-tracker. It is convenient, dispensing with the use of thetransposing expedient, to utilize the ducts, 3 in these socalled blindareas and the primaries corre sponding to them for controlling theslideoperating pneumatics; and in the corresponding areas of the notesheet, there are cut apertures, 30, for automatically controlling theoperation. The note sheet is represented as having apertures numbered.from 31 to as, inclusive, for playing a run through an entire octave,the range of the run being'partly below and partly above the limit ofthe sixty-four middle roup of notes constituting the ordinary range ofthe accompaniment. Heretotore, in such cases,

it has been customary to revise the compos1 tion in arranging perforatednote sheets by shifting such run to position one octave lower so that itcould all be out within the range of the note sheet, and in that case itwould all be played one octave lower down than as originally composed;that is, the playing as well as the cuttingwould be within the range ofthe note sheet. According to the present invention, the perforations 4with the ducts, 15. so that when the first aperture, 31, reaches itsduct in the tracker, and thereafter throughout the entire run theconnections are such as to play the notes one octave higher up than theyare written and cut. Similarly, for playing a run in the base portionwhich extends both sides of the lower limit of the note sheet, there arecut in the note sheet apertures, 45 to 57, inclusive, one octave higherup than they are written, the group being preceded by an aperture, 30,which causes the shifting of the rod, 19, for operating the valvedevices, 18, at the bass end, resulting in the playing of the notes ofthis group an octave lower than they are cut.

The reason for providing the double connections described at the trebleend over a range greater than the number of notes remaining beyond therange of the note sheet at the treble end (one octave being suflicientfor this), is that in order to approximate the playing of music runningbeyond the limited middle range of sixty-four notes, heretofore the notesheets and the masters for them have been cut as above indicated,-withthe perforations for the notes which were beyond this middle range oneoctave lower down than they are written; so as, for example, totranspose a run covering an entire octave partly below and partly abovethe upper limit of the note sheet range, the run would be reproducedthrough an entire octave lower down, although the lower half of that runbeing within the normal range of the note sheet could have been cut soas to be played as originally composed and writ ten. But since thiswould have necessitated either omitting the upper half of the run orchanging the musical effect by transposing that part alone to adifferent position lower down, the method above indicated has beenadopted. For a similar reason, musical phrases other than runs, whentheir range exceeded the range of the note sheet, have been customarilytransposed bodily to a lower octave, even though a part of the phrasebeing within the range of the sixtyfour notes could have been cut to beplayed as written. In order that these previously cut note sheets andthe masters for them may still be serviceable for playing and cuttingnote sheets for playing, on the instruments made according to thisinvention, it is necessary to construct the mechanism for carrying overthe entire phrase or run from the position in which it is cut to thehigher or lower place where it is to be sounded; and since such runs orphrases heretofore cut to be played an octave low or an octave highfrequently commence at a point such that an octave change puts thembelow middle C, and run up beyond the limit of the sixtyfour note range,it is necessary that the provisions in question should cover thiscominstrument equipped with this invention is competent to be playedwith note sheets cut in the previous manner, while at the same time itcan be played with the note sheets cut in accordance with thisinvention; also, the masters used for cutting the previouslyused notesheets in which runs and phrases such as indicated are arranged to beplayed an octave lower than written, can be used for cutting note sheetsadapted to be operated in accordance with this invention, by merelyadding the perforations, 30 and 30, atthe proper place; and the notesheets cut in accordance with this invention can be used on the formerinstruments which are not so equipped with the same effect as the notesheets cut for said former instruments.

In order to cause each of the rods, 25, and the valve devices connectedto it to stand in positions to which they are moved upon the energizingof one of the pneumatics of the pair with which the rod is connecteduntil the other pneumatic of the pair is energized to reverse theposition, the two pneumatics, 20 and 21, are normally adapted, as nearlyas possible, to have their moving members stand in any position in whichthey are placed; that is, the flexible walls of the pneumatics aresufficiently pliable so as to exert no spring reaction upon the movingmembers. From this it results that when either pneumatic is energizedand collapsed, and thereby caused to move the rod in one direction, therod carries the moving members of the other pneumatic freely to the mostexpanded position, and both pneumatics remain thus,that is, the firstcollapsed and the other expanded,until the expanded pneumatic isenergized and in turn collapsed, reversing the positions of both.

I claim 1. In an automatic piano-playing mechanism, in combination witha tracker and a pneumatic action; a duct bar containing ductscorresponding to a limited number of the tracker ducts and containingfor each of said ducts a pair of ducts adapted to be alternatelyconnected therewith; a valve device for effecting such alternativeconnections; tubes from the tracker ducts to the first-mentioned ductsof the duct bar; tubes from one of the ducts of each pair leading to thepneumatics corresponding directly to the limited number of trackerducts, and tubes from the other ducts of the respective pairs leading topneumatics chromatically distant a predetermined number of steps fromthe first-mentioned pneumatics, and means for moving said valve deviceto shift said connections.

2. In an automatic piano-playing mechanism, in combination with atracker and a pneumatic action, a duct bar containing ductscorresponding to a limited number of pass. This construction beingprovided, an

tracker ducts and connected therewith respectively, and containing alsofor each of said ducts a pair of ducts adapted to be alternativelyconnected with said first-mentioned ducts; valves mounted on the ductbar for effecting such alternative connections; tubes from one of theducts of each pair leading to the pneumatics corresponding directly tothe limited number of tracker ducts and tubes from the other ducts ofthe respective pairs leading to the pneumati-cs chromatically distant apredetermined number of steps from the firstmentioned pneumatics; amotor pneumatic and mechanical connections by which it operates saidvalves to shift said connections.

In an automatic piano-playing mechanism, incombination with a trackerand a pneumatic action, a duct bar containing ducts corresponding to alimited number of tracker ducts and connected therewith respectively,and containing also for each of said ducts a pair of ducts adapted to bealternatively connected with said first-mentioned ducts; valves mountedon the duct bar for effecting such alternative connections; tubes fromone of the ducts of each pair leading to the pneumatics correspondingdirectly to the limited number of tracker ducts and tubes from the otherducts of the respective pairs leading to the pneumatics chromaticallydistant a predetermined number of steps from the first-mentionedpneumatics; motor pneumatics and connections therefrom to said valvesfor actuating them respectively in opposite directions to shift saidconnections, and primary pneumatics which control said motor pneumatics.

4:. In an automatic piano-playing mechanism, in combination with atracker, a note sheet and a pneumatic action, a duct bar containingducts corresponding to a limited number of tracker ducts and connectedtherewith respectively, and containing also for each of said ducts apair of ducts adapted to be alternatively connected with saidfirst-mentioned ducts; valves mounted on the duct bar for effecting suchalternative connections; tubes from one of the ducts of each pairleading to the pneumatics corresponding directly to the limited numberof tracker ducts, and tubes from the other ducts of the respective pairsleading to the pneumatics chromatically distant a predetermined numberof steps from the firstmentioned pneumatics; motor pneumatics andconnections therefrom to said valves for actuating them respectively inopposite directions to shift said connections, and primary pneumaticswhich control said motor pneumatics, the tracker having ducts forcontrolling said primary pneumatics, and the note sheet having aperturesfor cooperating with said ducts.

5,, In an automatic piano-playing mocha nism, in combination with atracker and a pneumatic action, a duct bar having ducts for connectionwith a limited number of tracker ducts, respectively, each opening atone surface of the duct bar in an elongated mouth, and a pair of ductsadjacent to each of the first-mentioned ducts opening at said surface inmouths positioned in a line alongside said elongated mouth; a valvedevice for each of said first-mentioned ducts which covers all three ofsaid mouths having a recess elongated transversely of said elongatedmouth and lapping at one end thereon and at the other end on one of theother mouths and movable to shift the last-mentioned lap from one to theother of said other mouths, and means for moving said valve device.

6. In an automatic piano-playing mechanism, in combination with atracker and a pneumatic action, a duct bar having ducts for connectionwith a limited number of tracker ducts, respectively, each opening atone surface of the duct bar in an elongated mouth, and a pair of ductsadjacent to each of the first-mentioned ducts'opening at said surface inmouths positioned in a line alongside said elongated mouth; a valvedevice for each of said first-mentioned ducts which covers all three ofsaid mouths having a recess elongated transversely of said elongatedmouth and lapping at one end thereon, and at the other end on one of theother mouths and movable to shift the last-mentioned lap from one to theother of said other mouths, each of said valve devices consisting of abar pivotally mounted on the duct bar and spring-pressed at its pivot tohold its valve face seated; a connecting rod to which said valve devicesare pivotally connected, and means for moving said connecting rod tooperate the valve devices simultaneously 7. In an automaticpiano-playing mechanism, in combination with a tracker, a note sheet anda pneumatic action, a duct bar having ducts for connection with alimited number of tracker ducts, respectively, each opening at onesurface of the duct bar in an elongated mouth, and a pair of ductsadjacent to each of the first-mentioned ducts opening at said surface inmouths positioned in line alongside said elongated mouth; a valve devicefor each of said first-mentioned ducts which covers all three of saidmouths having a recess elongated transversely of said elongated mouthand lapping at one end thereon and at the other end on one of the othermouths and movable to shift the last-mentioned lap from one to the otherof said mouths, each of said valve devices con sisting of a barpivotally mounted on the duct bar and spring-pressed at its pivot tohold its valve face seated; a connecting rod to which said valve devicesare pivotally connected; two pneumaties connected with.

said connecting rod for operating the same in opposite directions, thetrackers having ducts for controlling said pneumatics, and the notesheet having apertures for controlling said ducts.

8. In an automatic piano-playing mecha nism, in combination with atracker and a pneumatic action, a duct bar having ducts for connectionwith a limited number of tracker ducts respectively, each opening at onesurface of the duct bar in an elongated mouth, and a pair of ductsadjacent to each of the first-mentioned ducts opening at said surface inmouths positioned in a line alongside said elongated mouth; a valvedevice for each of said first-mentioned ducts which covers all three ofsaid mouths having a recess elongated transversely of said elongatedmouth and lapping at one end thereon and at the other end on one of theother mouths and movable to shift the lastinentioned lap from one to theother of said mouths each of said valve devices consisting of a barpivotally mounted on the duct bar; an operating rod to Which the valvedevices are connected, and means for moving said operating rod.

9. In an automatic piano-playing mechanism, in combination with atracker, a note sheet and a pneumatic action, a duct bar cent to each ofthe first-mentioned ducts opening at said surface in mouths positionedin a line alongside said elongated mouth; a valve device for each ofsaid first-mentioned ducts which covers all three of said mouths havinga recess elongated transversely of said elongated mouth and lapping atone end thereon and at the other end on one of the other mouths andmovable to shift the last-mentioned lap from one to the other of saidmouths, each of said valve devices consisting of a bar pivotally mountedon the duct bar; an operating rod to which the valve devices areconnected; a pneumatic connected with said operating rod for moving it;a tracker having a duct for controlling said pneumatic, and the notesheet having an aperture for controlling said tracker duct.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, at De Kalb, Illinois,this 9 day of July 1913.

ERNEST G. CLARK. Witnesses J GEN I-IUrER'rs, HAZEL SANFORD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C.

